If the world at large didn't know who Rachael "Raygun" Gunn was before, they certainly gained an inkling after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 36-year-old Australian professor became a viral sensation after her spirited breakdancing performance earned her zero points and a swift exit from the competition. That could've been the end of the story, but it seems Gunn just got the career boost I've been hoping to hear about, which could lead to more future opportunities.
Following her emotional message thanking fans for their positivity admited a whole lot of trolling, Variety reported Rachael Gunn has allegedly signed with Born Bred Talent. This update arrived following rumors pointing to her making an appearance on the UK reality series I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! for Season 11.
A reality television appearance on a celebrity show can be definitely serve as a career jumping-off point that creates further opportunities. Now that she reportedly has representation, I could see network execs vying for her to appear on Celebrity Big Brother, The Masked Singer, and other shows utilizing talents and intelligence, and where audiences will be interested to hear more about her personal story.
Not just everything about that infamous Olympic event that has been parodied on The Tonight Show and elsewhere online, but also her life events before and after. But since it came up...
As much as I love seeing Second City and Saturday Night Live vet Rachel Dratch on my TV screen, perhaps now that Rachael Gunn has some representation, maybe she can be the one to parody herself next time? It seems the parodies are happening regardless of how she feels about it, so it would be helpful to have some representation and at least get a few gigs out of the fun.
I'm not sure about anyone else, but I know that I for one would love to eventually watch a Raygun documentary with my Netflix subscription. Just to get a telling of the events from start to finish to hear her side of the story, as well as anyone else who was there along the way.
I also can't help but think that Rachael Gunn has some real potential to be the next Olympian to get a feature movie like we saw with Eddie The Eagle. I can't sit here and act like they have totally similar stories beyond the fact they were both underdogs whose Olympic inclusions were accomplishments in and of themselves. If that movie were to be released today, I bet there'd be a solid amount of people lining up to see it, possibly with a few kangaroo hops happening in the crowd.
The question is, how long will the world remain obsessed with Raygun? The internet was collectively obsessed with "Hawk Tuah" girl Hailey Welch, and by the time she took the stage at a Zach Bryan concert, it seemed there was a backlash at her capitalizing on her popularity. Could the same happen with Rachael Gunn if she makes appearances at various events and television shows? Only time will tell.
Looking at the 2024 TV schedule, I'm beginning to look at the potential shows we could see Raygun make an appearance on. I'm crossing my fingers for her to be added to the cast of Dancing With The Stars Season 33, especially with another popular Olympic athlete already on the cast.
